Electrical connecter



Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN I. MCKINLEY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRYANT ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT ELECTRICAL CONNECTER Application filed February 7, 1927. Serial No. 166,385.

This invention relates to electric connecters for use in connection withelectrie translating apparatus and particularly sad irons, toasters and grills wherein conductors from the source of electricity lead into one end of an insulator body and are connected to a pair' of contact terminals within the body to which openings in the opposite end of the insulator body lead for the introduction of jack terminals connected to a translating appartus, and it is an object of the invention to provide an improved contact terminal-for connecters of this character each embodying a plurality of contact making members in alined relation and one nested within the otherto provide a pluality of contacts for connectionwith a jack contact memb'er'engaged in the terminals and assure positive electrical connection with the jack terminal, and to provide an electrical connecter of this character which is novel, inexpensive to manufacture and efficient in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved insulator body for the mounting and housing of the contact terminals of the connecter, and comprising complemental sections or shells arranged with an irregular channel adjacent. the conductor entering end to take up the stress and strain placed on the conductor in withdrawing the same from the connection of an electric translating device and obviate the possibility of breaking the connection between the conductors and contact members.

A further object of the invention relates to an improved mounting of the contact terminal members in the insulator body to allow of lateral movement of the contact members independent of each other whereby they are adapted to accommodate themselves to variations in the spacing of jack contact members of a translating device, and to arrange the mounting of the contact terminals in the insulator body whereby the stress and strain exerted thereon by the engaging of the jack terminals in and withdrawin of the same from the connecter will be t. en up in the insulator body instead of being transmitted to the connection of the terminal contacts with the conductors and the possibility of breaking such connection.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification Figure 1 is an elevational' view of an electric connecter embodying the present invention showing a portion of a conductor and a guard associated therewith. I Figure 2 is an elevational view of the connecter with a part of the insulator body removed to show. the mounting of the contact members and the arrangement of conductors therein.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the connecter, partly in section, to show the manner of securing the body members together and position of the entering end of the contact terminals within the insulator body.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 44 of F i ure 2 looking in the direction of the arrow to s ow the construction and arrangement of the connected contact terminals and the mounting thereof in the insulator body.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a contact terminal member.

Figure 6 is an elevation of a contact terminal member with a jack terminal in engagement therewith; and

Figure 7 is a view of the connecter looking at the contact end thereof.

vention illustrated in the drawing there is provided a body member for the mounting and carrying of contact terminals therein, comprising complemental or like longitudinally separable sections or shells 8, 9 of insulating material provided with alined perforations 10 for the engagement of clamping screws 11 the outer face of both sections at the ends of the perforations being enlarged to acso In carrying out the embodiment of the incommodate the heads of the screws and nuts threaded thereon whereby said screw heads and nuts will be flush with the faces of the sections. The interior of the sections is arranged with a pair of parallel and opposed longitudinally extending recesses 12, 13 having transverse ridges 14, 15 and 15' at opposite ends, said ridges being of a height less than the depth of the recesses and the ridges 15, 15 being arranged with an indentation 16 between the same. Passages or channels 17, 18 extend from the inner end of each of the recesses 12, 13 leading in a sinuous course from the recesses in a direction to diverge outwardly and then converging in a reverse inward direction about the ends of ribs 20 extending laterally from the end of the rib forming the wall between the recesses 12, 13 said ribs 20 constituting one wall of the sinuous channels, and again reversing and converging toward each other and merging in a restricted portion of a central longitudinally extending recess 19 constituting the entrance for a conductor carrying cable, the central recess 19 having an intermediate and laterally enlarged portion 19. The wall of the channels 17, 18 at the juncture of the diverging and converging portions and where said channels merge into the central recess 19 forming abutments for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The recesses 12, 13 open through the end of the shells with an inward- 1y extending rib 35 at said end, to serve as openings to the chambers formed by the recesses when the shells or sections are united restricted in area to the cross sectional area of said chambers and forming with the ridges 14 a lateral recess, as shown in Figure 4. The longitudinal recesses 12, 13 when the sections are united form a chamber for the housing of contact terminals for jack terminals of electric translating devices entered into the openings to said chambers formed by the opite ridges 35, and the recesses or channels 17, 18 forming passages leading from the opposite ends of said recesses 12, 13 and merging with the central recess 19 forming passages for electric current conductors.

Contact terminal members are carried in the recesses 12, 13 in separated and spaced relation and confined within the transverse shoulders 14, 15 and 35, said contact terminals comprising a series of pairs of opposed plates 21, 21" and 21 of resilient conducting material with the plates 21 in nested rela tion to plates 21' and the latter in nested relation to the plates 21. The main or body portion of the plates are preferablyof curved shape in cross section to give rigidity to the plates. One end, termed a back portion, of each plate is bent or oifset inwardly and then extended longitudinally or in the plane of the body of the plate and being substantially flat, as shown at 22 in Figure 6, and assembled with said portions to lie parallel and contiguous to each other, the plates being united and secured in electrical connection in such position by a rivet 23. The extended or end portion of the plates 21 are reduced in length relative to said end portions of the other plates, as shown at 25, the extended portions of the'plates 21" and 21 being arranged with alined and threaded perforations 24 for the engagement of a headed screw 24' for the electrical connection of electric current conductors 26 thereto entered through the central opening formed by the recesses 19. The perforations 24 are arranged in line with the indentations 16 between the ridges 15, 15' to permit of clearance of the screw 24' as shown in Figure 4. It will be noted that the respective pairs of plates are of different lengths with the plates 21 at the outer side and the plates of progressively decreased length arranged within said outer plates and the plates of less length 24" being innermost. By the connecting of the plates in the manner stated lateral movement parallel to the plane of the plates may be imparted to the contacts to permit of the ready insertion of a jack contact between the plates, the contact terminals accommodating themselves to jack contacts variably spaced apart.

The corners of the extended end portion of the plates 21", 21 of the contact terminal are deflected laterally to form lips 27 of a length substantially the thickness of the plates for engagement with the ridges 15 so that the contact terminal members will be in parallel relation to the face of said ridges when the body sections 8, 9 are secured together and thus firmly clamp the contact member therebetween and prevent lateral canting movement thereof, said lips also forming a space for the passage of a conductor connected to the contact member by the screw 24.

The opposite or free end of the plates constituting the contact making portions of the contact members are arranged in stepped or longitudinally spaced and alined relation, the outer pair of plates being the leading or foremost contact and each inner pair of plates being successively nested one within the other. To form said contact portions the ends are bent or ofi'set obliquel toward the opposed plate and the extremity extended longitudinally or in the plane of the body of the plate and formed to curve or arcuate shape in cross section, as shown at 28, said ortions of each opposed pair of plates forming a tubular portion to the entrance between the pairs of plates for the guiding and making of intimate contact therewith of succes sive points of a pin or pin contact terminal 13 engaged between the plates without an inner contact engaging and forcing an outer contact away from pin terminal engaging position. The end of the longitudinally extended curved portion is flanged or flared outwardly, as at 29, to facilitate the guiding of the pin terminal between said curved contact making portions, and the lateral marginal portions of said curved portions are flanged or bent laterally, as at 31, to serve as guide stops and limit the movement of the plates as they are urged in a direction toward each other through the inherent tension of the material of the plates in the norm mal condition thereof with no jack terminal engaged between the same. The laterally flanged portions 31 also serve to stiffen the extended portions 28 to prevent spreading thereof by the repeated insertion and withdrawal of a jack terminal from between the plates.

The recesses 12, 13 in the insulator shells or sections are spaced laterally from the contact terminal members in said recesses, wherem by they are adapted to accommodate them selves for the engagement of variably spaced jack terminals without contacting with the recess walls. The'ridges at the entrance end of the recesses 12, 13 are arranged to :5 form a recess between said rid es and the ridges 14 for the engagement of t e outward- .ly flared or flanged portion 29 of the curved portion 28 of the outer ends of the plates 21 and for the abutment of said outwardly 3o flared portion to take up any strains exerted on the contact members as by the withdrawing of the connecter from the jack terminals of an electric translating device and said withdrawing strain or stress will be taken u 35 in said ridge. The force of the stress an strain exerted on the contact terminals by the engagement of jack terminals between the contact-plates istaken up by the engagement of the outwardly flanged extremity 29 with the ridge or rib 14 as shown in Figure 2.

In assembling the connecter the bared ends of the conductors 26 are bent around the screws 24'' below the heads and the screw threaded'into the openings of the extended ends 22 of the contact plates to firmly clamp the contacts between the screw heads and the plate extensions 22. A portion of the enclosing cable. for the conductors is removed when the contact terminals are placed in the recesses 12, 13 of one of the insulator sections and portions of the conductors with insulation are arranged in the channels 17, 18, said channels being arranged so, thatthere will be a sharp bend in the conductors around the ends of the ridges 20 and the wall of the recess 19 forming the central opening and where the channels merge with saidrecess. In this condition a guard 33 comprising a coiled wire spring engaged upon the conductor with the carrying cable is engaged in the recessed portion 19*" with one or more convolutions at the end of said guard enlarged, as shown at 34, and engaged in the recess portion 19 when the other body section is placed 6 in mating relation thereto and secured together by the screws 11. By the arrangement of the conductor carrying channels 17, 18 any strain upon the conductors in disconnecting the connecter from an electric translating device will be taken up by the abutments formed by the ends of the ridge or rib20 and the wall of the recess 19 where the channels merge with said recess instead of being exerted upon the connection of the conductors with the binding screws 24. Furthermore, by the arrangement of the enlarged convolutions 34.0f the guard 33 in the recess portion 19 such strain will also be taken up by the shoulder formed by the reduced portion 19".

The other insulated section isthen placed in mating relation with the section having the contact terminals arranged therein as de scribed with the ridges 15' opposite each other and engaged with the reduced extended end 22 of the outer contact plates and the ridges 15 opposite each other engaging'the lips 27 when the sections are secured by the screws 11 with the contact terminals clamped between the ridges 15, 15. 90

The exterior portion of the shells or sections in the region of the sinuous channels 17, 18 are extended or bulged laterally and are transversely serrated to form finger grips, as shown at 36, to facilitate the separating of the connecter from an electric translating device. The sections of the insulator body are also arranged with outwardly bulged portions 37 diverging outwardly'from' and toward the end of said sections, which portions may also serve as finger grips for disconnecting the connecter from an electric translating device.

By the arranging of the plates of the contact terminal with the transversely 'curved ex tended portions 28 a large contact surface is provided for engagement by a jack contact engaged therebetween, and by providing more than one pair of such opposed contact making surfaces should any foreign substance be accumulated upon the jack contact the first pair of such contacts will serve to wipe and clean the jack contact and thus assuring the 1 electrical connection by a successive pair of contacts.

It will be noted that the.rece.sses-12'-13 are of a depth and width so that when the shells of the insulator body are united with the contact'members arranged therein that said contacts will be out of contact with said shells except at the ridge portions 15, 15', by means of which said contactfmembers are clamped and supported in position in the insulator body, as shown in Figure 4, with the result that any heat generated by the resistance of the material of the contact members to the current flow therethrough will'not be transmitted to the insulator body. the air space between the contact members and the shells of the insulator body in effect heat in 'sulator body.

, inserted between the sulat-ing the contact members from the in- It will be noted that the only permanent contact of the contact members with the insulator body is at the ridges 15, 15' which is of comparatively small area.

While I have illustrated and described one specific form of the invention, it will be obvious that various modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts, and that portions of the invention may be used without others and come within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention I claim 1. In a' contact terminal for electric connecters, a plurality of pairs of platesof different lengths and one pair of plates nested within the other, both ends of each of the plates of each pa r of plates being offset laterally in a direction toward each other and the extremities extended in the plane of the plates, the extended extremities of the offset portions at one end being-flat and arranged to lie in contiguous relat on and secured together in electrical connection one with the other at said extremities, the remaining portion of the plates being spaced laterally from each other and adapted to have yielding spreading movement without said portions of the plates making contact one with the other, the extended extremities of the free offset ends being arranged in longitudinal spaced alinement and constituting the contact making portion of the plates adapted to engage and make electrical connection with succes-.

, sive points of a pin terminal inserted between the pairs of plates;

2. A contact terminal for electric connecters as claimed in claim 1., wherein the plates of greatest length are arranged at the outer side of the nested lates and the plates of successively decreased length are arranged within said plates with the plates of least length innermost, the contact making extremities of the plates being formed to opposed arcnat-e shape in cross sect on with the marginal portions of the extremities flared outwardlv to serve as guides for the pin terminal as it is airs of plates, and the opposite lateral marginal portions of the contact making extremities bent laterally for limit ng the movement of a pair of plates in a direction toward each other.

3. In a contact terminal for electric connecters, a plurality of pairs of opposed plates of different lengths, the plates of each pair of plates having the opposite ends otlset laterally in a direction toward each other and the extremities extended in the plane of the bod of the lates, the offset ends atone end of t e plates e-ing juxtaposed one to the other and secured together in electrical connection with each other, said connected ends having a perforation therein for engagement of a binding screw for the connection of an electric conductor withthe plates, and the portions of the plates from the juncture thereof with the connected ends being free and one spaced laterally from the other and arranged to converge toward the other, the extremities of the free ends being arranged in alinement and spaced longitudinally one from the other to engage and make electrical contact with successive points of a pin terminal inserted between the pairs of plates.

4. A contact terminal for electric connectcrs as claimed in claim 3, wherein the oil's-ct ends of the outer pair of plates at which the plates are connected terminate within said ends of the inner plates to form a support for the contact terminal within an insulator body with a space between the ends of the inner plates and the insulator body, and the ends of the inner plates arranged with laterally extending lips to engage the insulator body and maintain the connected ends of the plates in spaced relation to the insulator body for the passage of'an electric conductor connected with the contact terminal.

5. In an electric connecter, an insulator body comprising a pair 'of longitudinally separable like sections, each section being arranged-with a pair of complemental longitudinal and parallel recesses extended through one end of the sections and each recess having transverse ridges at the opposite ends thereof,

said longitudinal recesses when the sections up the strain of endwise forces exerted on centrallv through the opposite end of the sections. the opposite walls of said channels having sharp projections opposed to arcuate portions of the opposite wall for the purpose. specified.

6. In an electric connecter, an insulator body comprising two comple'mental longitudinally separable sections, each section having a pair of eorres mnding. parallel longitudinal electric terminal housing recesses with one end of the recesses opening through the end of the sections and having a pair of transverse ridges at the opposite ends with the inner ridges s aced from the outer ridges, the outer ri ges at one end forming restricted openings tdthe recesses for the guidanceof pin terminals for engagement with the contact terminals housed in the recesses, and a sinuous channel leading from the inner end of each recess in a direction to diverge outwardly and then converge reversely in an inward direction and merging witha central recess through the opposite end of the sections, the outer wall of said channels being of arcuate form and the opposite wall forming sharp portions and said arcuate wall portions at the juncture of the converging portions thereof with the central recess forming sharp projections opposed to arcuate portions of the opposite channel wall the sharp projecting wall portions forming sharp bends in electric conductors engaged about said wall portion in said channels and connected with the contact terminal members in the housing recesses therefor to take up the stress and strain of a pull on said conductors.

7. In a contact terminal, a plurality of pairs of opposed and substantially alined contact members nested one within the other, eachcontzu-t member embodying a body portion, a back portion and a contact making por tion, the contact members being secured together in electrical coimection with another at the back portions, and the contact making portions of the outer members being arranged in forward spaced alinement to the contact making portions of the inner members, and said contact making and body portions being spaced laterally one from the other to adapt all of the contact making portions to make and maintain electrical contact at successive points with a pin terminal inserted between the contact members without an inner contact member forcing an outer contact member out of contact with the pin terminal.

8. In a contact terminal for electric connectors, a plurality of pairs of plates of yielding material of different lengths, each plate of each pair of plates having the opposite ends offset laterally in the same direction With the extremities of the offset ends extended in the plane of the body of the plates, said plates being arranged one within another in substantial alinement and secured together at one ofl'set end in electrical connection with each other, the remaining portion of the plates being spaced laterally one from the, other with the free ofl'set extremities formed to opposed arcuate shape in cross section and spaced from each other longitudinally of the contact terminal to constitute the con; tact making portions of the plates and adapted to make and maintain electrical con nection at successive points of a pin terminal inserted between the respective pairs of plates without the inner plates forcing the outer plates out of contact with the pin terminal.

9. In a contact terminal, a plurality of substantially alined contacts, each contact comprising a plate including a body portion arranged with a contact making portion at one end and a back portion at the opposite end, said contacts being secured together 1n lltb 

